As the lights dimmed in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a hush fell over the room as a haunting live musical performance opened the Patrick McDowell show. It was a fittingly theatrical start for the label, a champion of all things camp.
This season referenced Glyn Philpott, a British artist from the early 1900s.
“I was really inspired by his life,” McDowell explained backstage, adding that Philpott’s rise and fall from society’s graces were because the artist “followed his own queer path and had a more modernist view on the world.”
Those elements of queerness and modernity came through in McDowell’s signature exaggerated hourglass silhouettes, and a floaty overcoat-cum-coverup bedecked in feathery protrusions.
The collection’s palette of pale yellow, scarlet and sky blue, plus patterns — splashes of florals and hexagonal shapes on floor-length gowns and skirts — took inspiration from the painter’s works.
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Sustainability is always a focus of McDowell’s, and this season was no exception. Faux leather tops and trousers were made from mycelium mushrooms, all dyes were without petrochemicals, and most of the fabric was deadstock.
While still fun, it was refreshing to see McDowell dial down high camp in favor of exploring clothing with more wearability: chic cropped pants with fold-over waists, coolly layered knit shirts, and tailored pantsuits.
